1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a devices used to clean the inside of aircraft waste tanks and the like.
2. The Background Art
Large tanks are mounted on passenger aircraft for receiving and holding human waste products during passenger flights. At the end of each flight, the tanks are drained of the waste products and, to the extent possible, the interior of the tanks are rinsed or washed to remove any wastes which may be clinging or sticking to the inside walls of the tanks. This is done by spraying water or a cleaning solution through nozzles mounted inside the tank against the inside walls of the tanks. The previously available nozzles have several problems and drawbacks.
The previously available nozzles were fabricated of two or more pieces which would be screwed together and leaks would often undesirably develop at the joints between the pieces, such as between the body and the rinse jets. When a leak develops, less cleaning solution is directed against the wall of the tank thus reducing the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Another problem which is encountered is that the parts had to be assembled together thus increasing the cost of the nozzle. Still further, it is desirable to reduce the weight of all components included in an aircraft, including rinse nozzles, as much as possible. The over-use of metals in previously available rinse nozzles increased their weight more than is necessary.
Significantly, the rinse jets provided on previously available nozzles protruded from the body of the nozzle. This caused waste held in the tank to attach to the jets, cling to the nozzle, sometimes clog the jets, and make a complete cleaning of the tank more difficult. Moreover, waste held in the tank is likely to cling to parts of the nozzle which are fabricated from a metal, for example, stainless steel. When the jets become clogged, the flow of cleaning solution therethrough is stopped. Of course, this results in even less uniform cleaning of the tank so that some waste products remain in the tank. In turn, with the next use of the tanks, additional waste products cling to the old unremoved products so that a buildup of waste products occurs in the tank. The only solution to this problem then is to remove the waste tank for special cleaning which, of course, is very time-consuming and costly.
In view of the forgoing, it would be an advance in the art to provide an improved rinse nozzle structure and method of manufacture thereof which overcomes the problems and drawbacks previously noted.